Just Like We Always Will
by Me
Summary: Michelle's injury in the finale looked a lot worse than it was. Stephanie considers what might have happened, and how they still would have gotten through


Full House is a Jeff Franklin production. I just borrow the characters. I'm trying to get some  
ideas  
published for the kids' book series, as well as other possible childrens' books. No takers yet,  
but I've stopped doing fanfiction.net stories for the most part. This is a concept I've had for a  
good while, though.  
  
JUST LIKE WE ALWAYS WILL  
  
"Would you like some oucecream?"  
  
25-year-old Stephanie Tanner rolled her eyes. Getting over her dad's death two months ago  
was tough  
enough. But, since then, Michelle had stuck to her like glue.  
  
What was worse was, she was talking to her newest boyfriend. "Uh, well..."  
  
The twenty-year-old grinned happily inside Stephanie San Francisco apartment. "My big sister  
says I eat  
too much ouce cream."  
  
"Uh...what's ouce cream."  
  
Stephanie laughed nervously. "Heh, she means ice cream." She hoped she could quiet  
Michelle down a  
little. Having her at age eight was hard enough. But, when guys came in and saw a  
three-year-old in a 20-year-old's body, it really spooked them.  
  
"That's what I said. Ouce cream. Ooooh, listen to the birdies," Michelle said. She got  
excited. She  
pulled Stephanie by the hand. "Come on, let's go see if there are any at the bird feeder.  
  
"Michelle...I wanted to spend some time with Joe..." Stephanie sighed. She looked out the  
kitchen  
window for a second, then glanced up. "I know I shouldn't blame myself for not forgiving her  
right before  
the accident. I'm trying not to. But, sometimes I have to ask, why me?'"  
  
Joe peeked into the kitchen. "Well, listen...maybe I'd better get going. Thanks for dinner."   
He left.  
  
Michelle noticed Stephanie's weary face. "Don't worry, be happy. Look, there's a squirrlie  
trying to get  
on our feeder. Isn't he funny?"  
  
"Yeah. A riot," she muttered.  
  
  
  
30-year-old D.J. Tanner met Stephanie in Stephanie apartment after Michelle had been put to  
bed. "Well,  
Steph, did you think about it?"  
  
"I didn't have time; I was too busy singing I Wanna Be Your Teddy Bear' 806 times."  
  
D.J. understood. "You've been doing a good job with her," she remarked. "That really wore  
Dad out, you  
know. That, plus guilt over pressuring Michelle so much she wandered off onto the trail."  
  
"I know; it wore his poor heart out." She comforted herself by remembering he was back  
together with  
their mom. She'd died in a car accident when Stephanie was 5.  
  
"But, now we have to make a decision. Uncle Jesse and Aunt Becky have a ranch. Steph, you  
know how  
much they love her."  
  
Stephanie nodded slowly. A small tear formed in her eye. "I know."  
  
"Steph, you wouldn't have to worry about her on busy streets, she'd be around horses, she still  
loves  
those."  
  
"She loves any animal. I was trying to get some quiet time with Joe this evening, and she just  
pulled me  
away to see the birds and the squirrels." She smiled sadly. "She's never gonna have more than a  
three-year-old's mind, is she?"  
  
"You know what the doctors have said. As much as we've all tried to help her, that head  
injury was just a  
little too damaging."  
  
Stephanie silently agreed. D.J. was a nurse. She could help Michelle a little. But she and her  
doctor  
husband were almost too busy with their own baby. Joey had married recently. But, her dad's  
best friend  
from college had his television show now. And, Michelle just wasn't comfortable with her like  
with Steph.  
  
"I know. It's what's best for her. But...I just can't do it." She moped around the room.   
"Deej, I'm the  
one she calls Big Sis.' I'm the one she always turned to, till I moved out."  
  
"And you're the one who's put so much pressure on yourself, just because you wouldn't forgive  
her."  
  
"I haven't even thought about that, D.J.!" Stephanie fumed. Maybe it was a little true. She  
did  
sometimes wonder if she was still punishing herself. Allowing Michelle to keep chasing boys  
away until she  
finally didn't care any more.  
  
But, she hadn't even chased Andrew away. She'd actually brought them together by telling  
Andrew  
Stephanie liked him. She knew that now, with her looking for more mature men, it could happen.   
Someday.  
  
She just didn't know when.  
  
"Steph, if it's not that, what is it?"  
  
"I don't know," she whined. "It's just that she's stuck to me like glue ever since Dad's death,  
it  
seems. I  
know she loves Uncle Jesse, too. Heck, with their four kids, she'd have a hard time feeling lonely.   
But,  
somehow..."  
  
They heard Michelle weeping. Calling out for her Daddy. Stephanie started to jog toward the  
bedroom.  
  
D.J. held her arm. "Steph, let me go, okay. You've got that big dance recital Saturday at your  
studio.   
You need to focus on that."  
  
Stephanie watched as D.J. walked into Michelle's room. "Yeah. Along with trying to keep  
track of  
someone who's going to be three the rest of her life."  
  
  
  
Michelle skipped into the kitchen. She pulled the last paper ballerina off the refrigerator.   
"Today's the  
day," she proclaimed to Stephanie as the elder sister prepared breakfast.  
  
"That's right, and I want you on your best behavior."  
  
Michelle held up a thumb. "Got it, dude."  
  
Stephanie chuckled. She walked over and hugged Michelle. "You're so funny."  
  
She knew she put lots of pressure on herself. But, it couldn't be like before, could it? She'd  
blamed  
herself for days when she cut off a piece of her Uncle Jesse's then-long hair. He'd ridden to the  
barber's to  
get it fixed, and been in an accident. He'd broken both his arms. But, everything else was fine.  
  
But, now? It wasn't her fault, and she knew it. Indeed, Michelle had forgiven her for being so  
cranky.   
She'd probably forgiven her even before the accident. She'd always been good at forgiving.  
  
Maybe that's what hurt the most. Love your enemies, the Bible read, and you shall heap  
burning coals  
upon their heads.  
  
Whatever it was, she knew the important thing was now. And, while Michelle might be better  
off with  
her aunt and uncle, she knew, somehow, she should stay with Stephanie.  
  
But, why? As they entered the dance studio, and Michelle quickly cried "gotta go potty," she  
really  
wondered.  
  
It got even worse when the recital started. Michelle slipped out of her sight for just a second.   
By the time  
she found her, Michelle was dashing across the stage in a tree costume. It was meant to be used  
in the  
second half. Instead, she was spinning around while several young teens danced to "Moon  
River."  
  
Stephanie ran onto the stge with a microphone. She put her arm around Michelle. "Uh..."   
She gazed at  
the audience, which was awash in giggles. "I'm terribly sorry."  
  
Michelle took the microphone. "My turn to sing. Abcdefg/hijkmnmop..."  
  
"Uh, Michelle..." The audience was laughing uncontrollably now. The other dancers just  
stared at her.  
  
"Be quiet. Qrstuvwxy and z. Now I know my abc's. Next time won't you sing with me."  
  
"She rushed the twenty-year-old toddler off the stge. "Yes, dear, we will, now come on," she  
said, trying  
to sound calm. She rammed into half a dozen little girls in poodle outfits. "Oh...I'm sorry..."  
  
"What's this?" Michelle grabbed the string that pulled the curtain. "It's a train. Woo woo!"   
As she  
pulled, the entire curtain came crashing down in front of the dancers. Michelle's eyes bulged, and  
her mouth  
flew open like she was about to try to swallow an elephant.  
  
Stephanie sat against the wall and cried. The first ever recital for her studio. And, it was the  
most  
humiliating day of her life.  
  
One of the girls in the poodle outfit came up to her a few minutes later. There was a man, in  
his late 20s,  
standing with her. "Miss Tanner," spoke the girl, "this is my Uncle Mike."  
  
Stephanie couldn't recall the girl's name. She simply shook the man's hand. Her brain was too  
filled  
with...well, everything. She simply shook the man's hand. "Hi."  
  
"Mike Johnston." He sat beside her. "Your sister's mentally handicapped, isn't she?'   
Stephanie  
nodded.   
"My niece told me about it. But, I must say, After what happened a few minutes ago, I had to  
come say  
hello.' Because, I am even more impressed seeing in person how patient you are with her."  
  
"Y-you are," Stephanie stammered.  
  
"I'm a doctor, I specialize in developmental disabilities." He sighed. "Ever since my wife died  
of cancer  
early last year, I've been praying I'd find someone with the kind of patience you show. So she  
could be a  
good mother to my little boy and girl." He grinned. "I know it might be pretty stressful today,  
but maybe  
tomorrow night, we could go out to eat."  
  
Stephanie grinned. "I'd love that."  
  
  
  
She couldn't believe how quickly the months went. But, just over a year later, there she was,  
about to  
become Stephanie Johnston.  
  
She gazed at D.J., her maid of honor, and her other bridesmaids, Aunt Becky and Gia. Her  
soon-to-be  
children - the bubble-blower and ring bearer - were so precious. But, the twenty-one-year-old  
flower girl  
was perhaps the most adorable.  
  
"Here comes Michelle, her comes Michelle," she remarked in a sing-songy voice as she went  
down the  
aisle. As Uncle Jesse walked her down the aisle, Stephanie gazed upward. She considered how  
fabulous it  
would be to see her little sister, once again perfectly healthy, in Heaven someday. And yet, as she  
watched  
Joey gently guide Michelle to her seat, she considered how fabulous her life was now. Michelle  
was happy,  
in her own way - the way all little children are happy, living only for the moment, satisfied just to  
have  
someone around who loves them. Without all the cares that adulthood brings, all the worries, all  
the  
heartaches. She would miss out on a lot, but she still had lots of joys, lots of happiness, in her  
own little  
world.  
  
As bride and groom kissed, Stephanie considered the home they were building in the country.   
It wouldn't  
be ranch, but it would be far enough away from roads and the busy city that Michelle could be  
safe.   
It might  
be a little better at her aunt and uncle's ranch. But, she loved Michelle. And, she knew Michelle  
wanted to  
be with her.  
  
Michelle hopped up and ran to them once they were presented at husband and wife. "My turn  
to hug."   
She held her arms out wide.  
  
"Come here, you." The couple hugged her.  
  
"We're a family now. Right, Big Sis?"  
  
"You got it, dude."  
  
  
  
Stephanie woke up to the feel of Michelle jostling her awake. Tears streamed down  
Stephanie's face.   
"Hey, Steph, wake up." Michelle stood beside her, looking concerned. "Are you okay? Did you  
have a bad  
dream or something?"  
  
Stephanie glanced at the alarm clock. It was only about 4:30. And, she was still thirteen, and  
her sister  
was eight. "No...it was a beautiful one."  
  
Michelle sat and looked ahead. Why would someone cry like that at a good dream? "Yeah,  
right. You  
can tell me if you had a scary dream, Steph. My accident was only nine days ago. And, you said  
you were  
really scared."  
  
Stephanie hugged Michelle, holding her tightly and weeping a little yet. "That's just it. You're  
going to  
grow up with no sign that accident ever happened, that's what's so beautiful."  
  
"Now, I'm really confused."  
  
Stephanie continued to hold Michelle. "Michelle, I love you very much. I hope you never  
have to  
understand what I mean. But, it's like Dad said. Even if there had been lots of damage, we've got  
love. And  
with that, we can get through anything. And we always will. 


End file.
